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DeWine: Coronavirus ’absolutely’ could close Ohio classrooms for rest of school year

Appearing on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday morning, DeWine was asked by host Brianna Keilar if his ordered three-week closure of schools could be extended.

“Absolutely. Absolutely,” DeWine replied, a day after Ohio’s confirmed cases of COVID-19 doubled to 26, including the first case in Columbus.

Two more cases in Franklin County were confirmed Sunday morning shortly after DeWine spoke, bringing the tentative statewide total to 28.

“We’ve informed the superintendents while we close schools for three weeks, that the odds are that this is going to go on a lot longer and it would not surprise me at all if schools did not open again this year,” the governor said.

Schools across Ohio have been ordered to close at the end of classes on Monday amid the state’s public-health emergency to check the spread of the virus. DeWine said the pandemic could well extend into May.

The unwanted school holiday idles nearly 1.7 million school children, leaving many working parents scrambling to secure child care while some schools move to distance learning.

DeWine and Dr. Amy Acton, state health director, also have forbidden gatherings of more than 100 people.

“The most important thing we can do ... is to try to flatten this curve. We’re doing the things to try to keep people apart,” DeWine said on CNN.

The governor said while they are only expert estimates, more than 100,000 Ohioans could be infected with COVID-19 and servings as carriers of the infectious disease.

DeWine said 40% to 70% of Ohioans could end up contacting the virus, which is most deadly to the elderly with pre-existing health conditions. Ohio has recorded no deaths.

What Keilar described as Ohio’s “aggressive actions” have been hailed across the nation by commentators and elected officials.

DeWine also has appeared on Fox News and was scheduled to appear at 10:30 a.m. Sunday on “Meet the Press” on NBC.